IP Address Questions and VPN

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Does an IP address attach to one's computer, itself, or a server, or?
Asking because when I move, I'm wondering if the IP address will show up when I log in various places, or if it'll be a new IP address.
If it'll be a new IP address, how big of a headache will it be updating with all the sites I use that use IP address authentication?
If the IP address attaches to a server, and other accounts go through that server, what happens if someone else's account on that server gets banned by IP address to a site I use?
Can a moderator, admin, etc. from a website see where else someone is online when someone is logged into the site the moderator moderates??

Does a VPN hide one's IP address? or?
How does using a VPN differ from using Tor? Does using a VPN with Tor expose stuff that otherwise would be hidden by using only one or the other?

 

[Tall Timbers]

Your internet connection has a designated IP address so if you log in via your own service in your home your IP would normally be the same IP. If you go to McDonalds and log in to the internet there the IP will be their assigned IP. Same for anywhere else you log in.

With VPN that IP is masked and you end up using or appear to be using one of many IP options. I use VPN. I usually let my VPN use what it thinks is going to be the fastest connection, but I can choose from IPs located all over the world if I want to.

If you're not using a VPN then a site administrator can look at your IP and see the location where that connection is located. Not your house, for example, but wherever your service has its server which is probably in the same area.

If a public IP has been blocked by a site then you wouldn't be able to log in if you happened to be using that IP.

Web sites also have an IP address. The IP address that my website with its associated emails uses was blacklisted by some organizations many years ago. When my original web site service shut down and I had to find a new company I ended up with that tainted IP. I contacted several organizations when emails bounced and they cleared my IP address. The only company that hasn't and won't is Microsoft but fortunately it's rare that I need to email someone on an exchange server.

If a website actually used your registered IP to authenticate users, you'd have to turn off your VPN for that site if you wanted to use it. Then your home VPN would be what the site sees. I don't think I've come across a site that authenticates using IPs.

Here, and on most Boards like this, IPs and email addresses are or can be used to figure out if the account might be a spammer/hacker, etc. There are numerous organizations that keep a library of IP addresses that have been used in such a way or by bad actors. If I were to look at my own IP at this site there would be a list as long as the longest list allowable... maybe 25 IPs, I don't know the exact number off the top of my head. Each IP would show a different location. With Xenforo software administrators have easy access to IPs and Moderators may be given access (I think). With VBulletin I think Moderators and up have easy access.

I used to have a tool that would show me the IP of whatever I was looking at so I could use that for whatever reason I wanted. I think that was way back when I was using OS/2. Every internet address has an IP behind it. IPs can be shared as well. A few different websites share the IP address I rent with the package I use for websites.

When you move you'll have a new IP address unless you take your current internet account with you to the new location and you're connecting to the same place. If you're going to be in an apartment I personally think it would be a good idea to use VPN. I purchased VPN after I moved into the housing tract where we're currently at. In Alaska our nearest neighbors were too far away to be of any concern.

I don't know much of anything about TOR. I should look into that sometime.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Your internet connection has a designated IP address so if you log in via your own service in your home your IP would normally be the same IP. If you go to McDonalds and log in to the internet there the IP will be their assigned IP. Same for anywhere else you log in.

With VPN that IP is masked and you end up using or appear to be using one of many IP options. I use VPN. I usually let my VPN use what it thinks is going to be the fastest connection, but I can choose from IPs located all over the world if I want to.

If you're not using a VPN then a site administrator can look at your IP and see the location where that connection is located. Not your house, for example, but wherever your service has its server which is probably in the same area.

If a public IP has been blocked by a site then you wouldn't be able to log in if you happened to be using that IP.

Web sites also have an IP address. The IP address that my website with its associated emails uses was blacklisted by some organizations many years ago. When my original web site service shut down and I had to find a new company I ended up with that tainted IP. I contacted several organizations when emails bounced and they cleared my IP address. The only company that hasn't and won't is Microsoft but fortunately it's rare that I need to email someone on an exchange server.

If a website actually used your registered IP to authenticate users, you'd have to turn off your VPN for that site if you wanted to use it. Then your home VPN would be what the site sees. I don't think I've come across a site that authenticates using IPs.

Here, and on most Boards like this, IPs and email addresses are or can be used to figure out if the account might be a spammer/hacker, etc. There are numerous organizations that keep a library of IP addresses that have been used in such a way or by bad actors. If I were to look at my own IP at this site there would be a list as long as the longest list allowable... maybe 25 IPs, I don't know the exact number off the top of my head. Each IP would show a different location. With Xenforo software administrators have easy access to IPs and Moderators may be given access (I think). With VBulletin I think Moderators and up have easy access.

I used to have a tool that would show me the IP of whatever I was looking at so I could use that for whatever reason I wanted. I think that was way back when I was using OS/2. Every internet address has an IP behind it. IPs can be shared as well. A few different websites share the IP address I rent with the package I use for websites.

When you move you'll have a new IP address unless you take your current internet account with you to the new location and you're connecting to the same place. If you're going to be in an apartment I personally think it would be a good idea to use VPN. I purchased VPN after I moved into the housing tract where we're currently at. In Alaska our nearest neighbors were too far away to be of any concern.

I don't know much of anything about TOR. I should look into that sometime.

Current internet is part of the cable package at Mom and Dad's house. So, a whole new account AND a cable/internet provider that doesn't censor (both) like at the house

There's a VPN available via LifeLock, and another via AV program. Just looked and there's free VPNs. PC Mag and some other reasonably reliable third-parties have reviewed and rated.
Probably would be a good idea to use a VPN on my cell, but I've been using Tor except when I had to access the bank and used FF with the Duck [sigh] I did find out when using a bridge on Tor on my phone the internet gets so slow it's almost unusable, and it's gotten far worse recently. Wonder if the cell phone company and/or Android is trying to discourage use of Tor

 

[Tall Timbers]

There's a VPN available via LifeLock, and another via AV program. Just looked and there's free VPNs. PC Mag and some other reasonably reliable third-parties have reviewed and rated.

Tunnelbear is $120 for 3 years and unlimited devices... that's what I'm using. I don't know how it stacks up against other VPNs but it does the job for me. We're using it on 5 phones, 4 computers, and a tablet. It seems to behave just a little differently on each of the devices.

 

[Ronnie]

I was going to ask about VPN! Is it recommended for everyone? What is it?

 

[Tall Timbers]

I was going to ask about VPN! Is it recommended for everyone? What is it?

A VPN protects you by:
Creating a private network from a public internet connection.
Masking your internet protocol (IP) address so your online actions are virtually untraceable.
Hiding information about your physical location while securing your digital data through encryption.
Encrypting your internet connection, effectively masking your online activity and IP address from outside entities.

I don't think everyone needs VPN. Along with anti-virus protection, it's an additional layer of protection both from cybercriminals and big brother.

 

[Ronnie]

Does it cost anything?

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Does it cost anything?

Depends on which one you get. At least some of the free ones have paid subscription versions with more features, etc.

 

[Tall Timbers]

Does it cost anything?

Most cost something. I don't know if there are any free ones that offer unlimited bandwidth. Many will offer a free account that allows you to use the VPN until you've passed their bandwidth limit for free accounts... which I would usually surpass in a day or less.

For the ones that cost, you can pay by the month or year, or sometimes 2 or 3 years.

 

[mattfivefour]

Thunder VPN is completely free with no obvious traffic limits. Additionally, they claim not to log. But they only offer limited change countries in their free version.

 

[Tall Timbers]

Thunder VPN is completely free with no obvious traffic limits. Additionally, they claim not to log. But they only offer limited change countries in their free version.

Interesting. It looks like it was designed for phones but can be used on a PC with an emulator. Way back when I was looking for a totally free unlimited VPN I couldn't find one

Saw this in a review:

Thunder VPN uses the SSL protocol which is less secure for VPNs as it doesn't verify clients like the IPSec protocol and therefore leaves users vulnerable to “man in the middle” cyber attacks. The problem is aggravated by the lack of a killswitch to prevent access to the internet when your device is not connected to the VPN.

Thunder VPN is actually intrusive and collects data through a vague log policy. Your privacy lies at their mercy. Annoying ads will pop up every single time you connect/disconnect from the free app version, which only confirms that commercial interests precede the vendor's promise of keeping you safe behind a firewall.
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Usually, but not always, you'll get a better product if you have to pay for it. Thunder VPN looks like it might be worthwhile for those who don't care if it doesn't include a killswitch, which is something I appreciate having, and if they don't mind ads in the app. It costs money to run a VPN service so it isn't surprising if they need ad revenue. A free version like this would be a great way to use a VPN for a while before deciding if you want to use one fulltime, and maybe one with more features that you'd have to pay a bit for.

 

[Growing in Grace]

Ben Shapiro, from The Daily Wire, gives a discount for ExpressVPN.

I'm not sure if they are unique in this, but they do not pry into your internet activity. From them: "ExpressVPN does not keep logs of your online activities or personal information. This means we do not and never will collect your browsing history, traffic destination or metadata, DNS queries, or any IP addresses you are assigned when you connect to our VPN."

Often 'free' sites get money selling your info.

 

[Tall Timbers]

Ben Shapiro, from The Daily Wire, gives a discount for ExpressVPN.

Looks like the deal is 3 extra months free when you pay for a year. I think it's $80 for a year. NordVPN is quite popular and costs about the same for 2 years of service for their least expensive version. One of the reasons I like Tunnelbear, besides the lower price when I buy three years at a time, is its business model is quite simple: One version to choose from and it does a lot.

 

[mattfivefour]

For stuff that I really want to keep private, I use BitDefender VPN, which I have as part of my BitDefender Total Security web protection for all of our computers and phones here.

 

[Tall Timbers]

For stuff that I really want to keep private, I use BitDefender VPN, which I have as part of my BitDefender Total Security web protection for all of our computers and phones here.

How much do they charge for the VPN? I use Total Security for our antivirus and every once in a while the BitDefender software pushes their VPN... Do you just use the free bandwidth that I think they offer with the Total Security package?

 

[mattfivefour]

It's $69.99 a year; but for the first year it is only $34.99 a year or $6.99/month.

Yes, I use the free 200MB a day (per device and I have 5 devices which equals 1000MB a day total), but I am considering going paid.

 

[Tall Timbers]

It's $69.99 a year; but for the first year it is only $34.99 a year or $6.99/month.

Yes, I use the free 200MB a day (per device and I have 5 devices which equals 1000MB a day total), but I am considering going paid.

I use it (tunnelbear) full time. I'm not sharp enough to turn it on just when I'm doing something sensitive like banking or making a purchase, so it's always on all our devices.